I can’t seem to find any budget 14500 lights. What are your favorite ones? I’m looking for comparable quality to Convoy except with 14500. Definitely under $30 and better if under $20.
Probably not what you had in mind, but…
Other than the “comparable quality to Convoy” I really enjoy my SK68 clone. I have EDC’ed it for over a year and it has never let me down. I run both 14500 and AA in it with no issues. For the $3 I paid for it, I have sure gotten my money’s worth! LOL
Have you had a look at Solarstorm SC01? It s the same as Palight x4 reviewed here on blf
I waiting mine to arrive from cnnqualitygoods
As far for the quality thing… Opinions here are controversial
If you like to mod the light : Ultrafire C3 SS
To much bad news from the SC-01... The one I had gifted to a friend died in a very short while. Lots of other failures reported too. I've been purchasing and semi-reviewing some ultra-budget AA lights, and while some have potential, the quality isn't up to the Convoy standard you are hoping for.
I'm not aware of any factory single-AA/14500 lights that I really like. My favorite, and daily EDC for two years now is my modded TrustFire F20. After replacing the factory XR-E emitter with an XM-L, this has been a great light.
http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10000984/
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/13006
This U-520 is surprisingly good, due in part to its simplicity:
http://www.fasttech.com/products/1815003
I have a couple of extras coming from eBay (a couple of bucks cheaper) and will be modding one with an XP-L and beefier driver to make an ultra-compact flame thrower.
<Edit>
The PX-516 I reviewed here really impressed me more than I was expecting. Even factory configuration, it was a fairly decent little light. Good pocket clip and size for an EDC option. I haven't had it long enough to comment on the longevity of the tailcap switch, but it is replaceable if needed. For $6, you aren't out too much if it fails. I have a second wider-angle TIR coming soon...
+1 on the SK68.
I’ve had mine for several years now and it has done a fine job. Right now their like $3.30 on Amazon w/free shipping. I’ve ordered another batch of 10 to have some spares and also nice little gifts. I’ve probably bought more than a couple of dozen of these little lights since I found out about them.
I’m the same way, 14500 with an AA back up.
Are there any SK68s with a nice neutral white XP-G2 or XM-L2? I also prefer no strobe.
I can’t really mod lights, which is why I like how Convoy allows you to just pick whatever driver profile and LED you prefer.
Beware that sk68 has a convex lens
Most all are XR-E and single mode, although there are some multi-modes out there.
I’m sure tints vary quite a bit, as with many other aspects of the light.
With a 14500 in it, it’s bright enough for most any indoor task and if zoomed a bit, some outdoor tasks as well - around 200lm, I believe?
For the price, it’s worth giving one a try.
Xeno EO3. Find them on eBay and other places. Can be had with XM-L2, XP-G2 have even seen Nichia ones. And in WW, NW & CW. All under £20. Lots of colours to choose from too.
I don’t recommend getting an SK68:
1. The current batch of SK68s are mostly single-mode with an XPE. These are aspheric zoomable lights. Instead of a reflector they have a lens on a sliding bezel. The output isn’t great and the beam angle is quite narrow in flood mode.
2. Considering what it does, the SK68 is a dated design … it is relatively large for a single 14500 light. The shape also isn’t great for EDC pocket carry as it has a crenelated bezel and ridges near the tailcap and batter tube. There are other lights available with the same beam profile, emitter and output, but half the size.
3. SK68s are nice because they’re cheap lights. If it breaks you can discard it knowing you’re ditching a sub $10 light. The downside is the quality is far below Convoy (most SK68s lack things like thermal grease under the star). If you’re looking for a high-quality 14500 EDC this isn’t it.
4. This may or may not be relevant to you, but like most zoomies, SK68s are not waterproof.
Better 14500 lights?
$32 - Xeno E03 from Illumn.com. Basic no-frills 3-mode light. Available in neutral white. Will be bright but very floody.
$32 - Thrunite T10 aluminum. Also available from Illumn. I don’t own this particular model, but Thrunite is known for making premium quality lights.
$40 - XTAR WK41. Very comfortable and pocket friendly shape. Adequate UI with electronic sideswitch. Tint is very cool. Upgrade it with a DrJones driver and your choice of neutral white or high CRI emitter and this goes to the top of the pack.
$50 - Eagletac D25A clicky. Considerably smaller and better than the Xeno EO3. Available in a variety of emitters including neutral white. One of the best and most pocket friendly AA/14500 EDC lights avaialble.
$64 - Zebralight SC52w. Fantastic UI, feature set and build quality. One of the best AA/14500 EDC lights on the market.
A month ago I’d have recommended the Coast HP1, which was available from Amazon for $10. It was a single-mode zoomie with build quality much superior to the SK68. Unfortunately, it appears to have been a limited run. Amazon no longer lists it for sale.
Ultrafire V20 ?
I really like the looks of this one, xm-l2, no blinkies, big honking clip, but I can’t find where anybody has ever had anything to say about it
The original Sipik SK68 i have ( first two i bought) came in a more neutral white XR-E ( EZ-900) but have only seen bluish or purplish tint cool white XR-E or XP-E emitters in any of the clones.
+1 the Xeno E03 is a favorite for me too. XML - Neutral white 3 mode although the mid-low-high arrangement is a bit of an oddball.
Three great lights I have and use:
Spark SF-5 (Mine is in NW), and
Xtar WK41 Sirius
Olight S15 Baton
The XENO E03 looks nice, is it easy to mod, can you open the head and get to the mcpcb and driver? is it a pill or shelf design?
My favorite is the SK-58. The SK-68 is more common and therefor cheaper sometimes, but it is bigger than necessary, unless you modify it to increase the current. It is mostly a matter of taste. The little “# 3 zoomy” is very practical, but I don’t like it esthetically. The knurling on SK-58s is usually very nice, with finer knurling on the head where it is needed to set the focus and often little grooves on top of the bumps to further improve grip.
The trouble with these, and many others, is that they have boost drivers. So they can easily run lithium ion cells way down. Protected cells and/or low battery warning (which these don’t have) are some help, but I don’t like boost drivers with lithium ion cells, and I have converted all but one of those I use them in to linear drivers. With a linear driver, no light is produced below the voltage needed for one electron to produce one photon, which is 2.something volts, so the current usually dies away to zero as it reaches that voltage. This also means you have some light for a long time after the battery is nearly dead.
I like zoomies because they give a spot of uniform illumination and because they don’t blind others nearly as much as reflector lights do.
This: 
Dedomed, pencil mod, and turned into a mule. Works amazing for around the house at night. More useful than my S2+ indoors. Good way to spend $3!
Do you mean a pencil line got rid of next mode memory?